RESEARCH PROGRAMMES

KEY THEMES.

1. TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS

Traditional knowledge systems are unique local knowledge existing with and developed around the specific conditions of the people, indigenous to a particular geographical area. These traditional knowledge systems covers all aspects of life, including management of the natural environment and is a matter of survival to the people who generated this knowledge.

Traditional and indigenous knowledge is stored in people’s memories and activities and is expressed in folklore, cultural values, beliefs, rituals, myths, community laws, stories, local languages and taxonomy, animal breeds. Traditional and indigenous knowledge is shared (among trusted people) orally, by specific example, and through indigenous forms of communication, culture and organization, which are vital for local level decision – making.

Indigenous technical knowledge, like specific knowledge, should be regarded in the first place as something, which becomes possible as a result of a more generalized intellectual process of creating order out of disorder. It seems that the differences between indigenous and specific knowledge are not at a fundamental conceptual level but in terms of formal structure, institutional framework, technical facility and ability and scale of perspective. Practically scientific understanding is well equipped to generate universality, while Traditional knowledge is better able to provide detail. These district levels suggest a complementarity.

The development of science, technical and industrial productivity is the component of modern society that influences us most. The development of technology makes it possible to produce more and more goods with fewer and fewer workers. Joblessness born from lack of technological development is a world – wide problem and a chronic illness in African countries, as the increasing number of street and destitute children and idle youths shows in towns and rural areas. In the past times men moved from the lands to the mines and factories. Their children were educated and moved to offices, or laboratories, as civil servants, skilled technicians or executives. But the year 2000 or earlier, offices and laboratories are full. There is little room for young people, university graduates, including medical doctors, have difficulty finding employment. This new situation is here to stay. Science and technology creates new jobs and joblessness. Joblessness can be a source of deviant behaviour.

THIN organization recognizes that there are important applied problems in the health management of human, plant, crop, livestock, environmental, health, conservation and sustainable utilization of biodiversity and natural resources. Yet many local communities in many areas benefit from generations of experiences of the management of complex health systems that take advantage of the benefits and sustainability associated with complexity. But in several crucial cases these applied problems cannot be specifically approached without further basic scientific and technical knowledge. There is an increasing appreciation of the advantages of incorporating science and technology with traditional technical knowledge systems and practices to yield mutually beneficial results from development projects.
The need for this is pressing.

However, we see human action conditioned by value systems and attitudes within a given society and by the amount and type of available resources at a given time and space. The delivery of healthcare services is such as a major participating research and development opportunity and it seems reasonable to suppose that these experiences provides an impartial resource in understanding such systems for practical purposes. For example, it may be possible to adapt indigenous techniques to eliminate their harmful effects or enhance their benefits. At the same time, we are witnessing the disintegration of the social fabric and in it’s place find millions of scattered human beings living disconnescted lives different to each other despite their common sufferings and knowledge base.

National development plans have not been keen to consider understanding local conditions. This has resulted in unsustainable land use practices, frequent natural disasters, such as floods, drought. There is no nuxus between poverty reduction and sustainable development in current policy formulations. The role of major groups, communities, industry, the business, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Community – based organizations (CBOs), women, youth is inadequately mainstreamed in leading policy and institutional formulations, resulting in widespread or non-achievement. Traditionally the economies of the traditional healthcare industry and enterprise has taken second place to national economic policy, let alone it’s workings, wages and earnings.

Understanding local knowledge systems can help in identifying the needs of the community in other ways. Exposing inaccurate or technically outdated components of local knowledge system is useful in itself because it allows for extension and education to be targeted accordingly. Useful information and techniques can best flow from the scientific community to the local people including practitioners and land users – once we know what they already know and what also might be most useful to add to their store of knowledge and tools. Technology creates new jobs and joblessness.


Outcomes Brief description of cooperation strategies Major lines of Action Programme modality
 Sustainability in the human condition and conditions of the environment and ecosystems

 Long term commitment for researchers, partners, communities, students, among others Identify priority education, learning, research training in traditional health knowledge systems and identify development of strategies for resource mobilization and gender mainstreaming. • Set up reflective institutions (where people can partner, question, learn and trust each other.
• Carry out institutional capacity building including education, training of the young generations and communities.
• Have strategies for communites to validate, document and apply useful new knowledge from traditional as well as scientific platforms Collaboration of programmes and implementation.


THEME 2

INTEGRATED HUMAN HEALTH AND WELFATRE DELIVERY
Most success in health related issues can be attributed to the remarkable breakthroughs achieved in scientific and biomedical researches . not withstanding the disgraceful state of health in developing countries like Kenya is grossly Inadequate.
Among the problems that have emerged are:
• Increasing pressure on public sector financial resources not only for expanding the health facilities and services but also in responding to increasing demands from a high population growth rate.
• An inadequate spatial distribution of health service in the country due to low community participation in many areas and the difficult physical environments obtaining especially in the arid and semi- arid areas.
• Shortage of manpower and management expertise fro the running of health services.
• A low level of hospital occupational efficiency epitomized by a more than 100% bed occupancy rate co-existing with the high cost per patient per day.
• Lack of proper public information and education which would guide the people themselves to develop competence in meeting the basic requirements of good health.
It is said that improper transplantation of technology has led to alienation of health care mechanisms, while value systems in the services concerned have been neglected. Thus whenever technological solutions are proposed for the developing world, we should keep in mind the salient problems and characteristic not only finding enough material enough material resources but also matching them with specific cultural patterns and educational levels of given communities. There is therefore a great need for more humanitarian approach to health delivery aiming at the association research, implementation and delivery through consideration of the socio-economic advancement in relation to nature . for example because we are formed from much of nature, we are able to feel, respond and communicate with nature around us.
The health of our bodies is closely related to the health of the earth, caring for the earth also results in our own better health and our communities. It is impossible to separate ourselves from and live without nature.
Some international authorities are convinced that the developing countries must increase their investments in health if they are to generate human energy required to extricate themselves from their dive economic situation.



MAJOR HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT CONSTRAINTS

• INFORMATION

Planning for health services and facilities in an underdeveloped country like Kenya is frequently made more difficult by the paucing of information concerning health and disease in most part of the country, particularly when the information as to social and cultural development and disease prevalence is almost completely missing.

• PERSONNEL

Local medical schools just like the rest of the world over the concentrate on disease rather than health, on treatment rather than prevention, on prolonging life rather than promoting health. These schools lay emphasis on specialists.


Who can only deal with a few specifics rather than personnel who have a large scope. The majority of medical schools graduates only function in environments in which they are trained. That is why doctors in developing countries like Kenya refuse to work in district hospitals because they are highly dependent on gadgetry and addicted to drugs. This makes it expensive and only available in the top – income groups, although insurance schemes and fund – drives extend it to a limited few in the lower income bracket.
- Pharmaceutical firms are also accused of not developing drugs for the tropical disease, which they claim does not give profit after extensive research in such drugs. The enforcement of the World Health Organization (WHO) essential drug list is yet to be done. The lack of a national drug policy does not improve things in Kenya. Advertising directed at the layman is also allowed.

- Improper use of chemicals and drugs in particular expose humans as well as living things (humans, animals, immediate environment) to possible toxic effects, either directly or residues in livestock products. This leads to emergence of resistance by parasites to control drugs as has occurred for anti-malarials and acaricides.



The various aspects outlined above are all likely to be proportionally greater for the poor who comprise 60% of the Kenyan population. The poor do not have access to preventive and curative treatment, animal breeding services, veterinary drugs, information and advice. This is exacerbated by high population growth rates which remain high in the face of low economic growth rates which have continued to all in the last two decades. Diseases of human as will as animal and those from the disturbed environment have additional direct and indirect impacts on human nutrition, community development and socio – cultural values. The inadequacy of these services has been attributed to the failure of the central publicly funded services owing to diminishing national incomes, cuts in foreign aid.

Lack of connection between / aiming different stakeholders, groups especially among traditional practitioners, healers, providers, associations and modern health providers.


Outcomes Brief description of cooperating strategies Major lines of Action Programme modality
An integrated health delivery system based on primary healthcare strategy.

Reduced vulnerability • Partnershios working together as ateam to develop methods of study and implementation that provides a remarkably complete picture of the rural as well as living conditions and of the prevelance of diseases, particularly infectios and nutritional disorders.

Establishment of major reseach and training and educational phase

• Mechanisms for official recognition of qualified traditional health providers, their code of conduct, quality of services and drugs.

Collaboration between community based providers and modern healthcare providers in the areas of organization, management, information sharing and operations.

• A curriculum that addresses and integrates education about a range categorical health priorities and issues on developmental appropriate ages in schools. • Mobilize multi disciplinar approaches: working with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and other stakeholders. Disciplines include; epidemiology, social anthropology, sanitary science, entomology, pollution, public health and laboratory services enhanced.

• Capacity building at all levels
• Technical cooperation through information, training research extension.

• Developed mechanisms to local health production and marketing of natural medicines and other health products.

• Establishment of community – based herbal health clinics.

• Established programme resorce framework.

THEME 2

INTEGRATED HUMAN HEALTH AND WELFATRE DELIVERY
Most success in health related issues can be attributed to the remarkable breakthroughs achieved in scientific and biomedical researches . not withstanding the disgraceful state of health in developing countries like Kenya is grossly Inadequate.
Among the problems that have emerged are:
Increasing pressure on public sector financial resources not only for expanding the health facilities and services but also in responding to increasing demands from a high population growth rate.
An inadequate spatial distribution of health service in the country due to low community participation in many areas and the difficult physical environments obtaining especially in the arid and semi- arid areas.
Shortage of manpower and management expertise fro the running of health services.
A low level of hospital occupational efficiency epitomized by a more than 100% bed occupancy rate co-existing with the high cost per patient per day.
Lack of proper public information and education which would guide the people themselves to develop competence in meeting the basic requirements of good health.
It is said that improper transplantation of technology has led to alienation of health care mechanisms, while value systems in the services concerned have been neglected. Thus whenever technological solutions are proposed for the developing world, we should keep in mind the salient problems and characteristic not only finding enough material enough material resources but also matching them with specific cultural patterns and educational levels of given communities. There is therefore a great need for more humanitarian approach to health delivery aiming at the association research, implementation and delivery through consideration of the socio-economic advancement in relation to nature . for example because we are formed from much of nature, we are able to feel, respond and communicate with nature around us.
The health of our bodies is closely related to the health of the earth, caring for the earth also results in our own better health and our communities. It is impossible to separate ourselves from and live without nature.
Some international authorities are convinced that the developing countries must increase their investments in health if they are to generate human energy required to extricate themselves from their dive economic situation.

HEALTH DEVELOPMENT

INFORMATION

Planning for health services and facilities in an underdeveloped country like Kenya is frequently made more difficult by the paucing of information concerning health and disease in most part of the country, particularly when the information as to social and cultural development and disease prevalence is almost completely missing.
PERSONNEL
Local medical schools just like the rest of the world over the concentrate on disease rather than health, on treatment rather than prevention, on prolonging life rather than promoting health. These schools lay emphasis on specialists.

implementation.